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To help you find the best steam vacuum cleaner, we have thoroughly researched a multitude of top vacuums, testing to ensure they delivered high-grade cleaning power that would be perfect for residential, commercial, or industrial use. We liked durably made vacuums with powerful motors that easily remove stains and debris.
The best steam vacuum cleaner that we tried was easily the Tineco Pure ONE S12. This carpet steam cleaner features a powerful 500w motor and an integrated battery, allowing for cordless use. The 500w motor makes it one of the best carpet cleaners and the integrated sensors automatically adjust the power depending on how much dirt and debris are present. Keep reading to learn more about other high-quality vacuum cleaners available today.
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: Great option for shampooing carpet, in addition to performing basic cleaning tasks, shipping with a lengthy hose, and powerful spin brushes that rotate a full 360 degrees to dislodge dirt and debris.
The Hoover FH50150 Power Scrub Deluxe is a fantastic steam cleaner vs vacuum cleaner that absolutely excels at shampooing, washing and drying carpet and other surface types. We loved the powerful spin brushes that rotate 360 degrees and are great at dislodging stubborn dirt and debris. This steam vac also ships with a number of useful accessories and attachments, including a lengthy hose that is eight feet long, a stair tool, and an upholstery tool, among other items.
Related: Check the best upright vacuums.
Though this steam cleaner does ship with a bottle of proprietary shampoo, it is intended for demo use only and, as such, is extremely small. Also, there are no internal batteries here so the vacuum must be plugged in during use, though the integrated power cable is nearly 20 feet long. You might need to look into the best stick vacuum that combines an efficient motor with a powerful battery that keeps the vac going long enough to clean your house.
Award: BEST QUALITY
WHY WE LIKE IT: High-quality professional carpet steam cleaner with a robust feature set that includes vibrating scrub brushes that inject cleaning solution deep into the carpet fibers and a powerful motor that cleans so thoroughly that the drying process is lessened.
Read Full Review: Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3
The Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 eliminates the need for a commercial-grade carpet steam cleaner rental, thanks to the high-end features available in this model that is available to own. The integrated vibrating scrub brushes excel at dislodging dirt and debris from carpeting and the powerful motor cleans individual strands of carpeting, helping to reduce the drying time after use. This steam vacuum cleaner for carpets is also built to easily handle pet-related messes and odors, with a high-grade extraction-based motor.
This is a professional-grade steam vacuum cleaner and, as such, it is on the heavier side, clocking in at around 50 pounds, which is much heavier than some of the top-rated Dyson vacuums. The vac does feature integrated wheels that are sturdy on all surface types, so it isn’t that difficult to lug it around in between cleaning sessions. This is one of the best carpet cleaners.
Award: BEST FOR ANIMAL LOVERS
WHY WE LIKE IT: Designed for pet lovers, with a spot stain removal function and the inclusion of the company’s FlexForce pet power brushes, which excel at removing pet-related debris from carpeting and at eliminating caked-in odors.
The Hoover SmartWash is simply a fantastic steam cleaner for households that have multiple pets, as it features a handy spot stain removal function and the ability to pretreat highly trafficked areas. The company’s proprietary FlexForce power brushes excel at removing debris and odors alike and the HeatForce drying technology helps carpeting eliminate moisture after cleaning. There are also integrated sensors built-in to this vacuum that lets it automatically switch between cleaning and drying, which can be useful.
Though both the cleaning solution and pretreatment solution are included in this package, they are trial sizes and, as such, are on the smaller side. You may need the best carpet cleaner detergent for the removal of stains and all-round maintenance tasks. Also, this vacuum must be plugged in to operate, though the included power cable is over 20 feet in length.
Award: BEST SAFETY FEATURES
WHY WE LIKE IT: Perfect choice for those with kids or pets as this vacuum contains multiple safety features to prevent accidental injury, with a design that can reach a steam temperature of 226 degrees Fahrenheit.
Read Full Review: Costway Multipirpose cleaner
This cleaner by Costway is packed with robust safety features, including a child safety lock and a sensor that will automatically turn the vacuum off if steam pressure gets too high. The design allows for a maximum steam temperature of 226 degrees Fahrenheit, making it great for disinfecting surfaces, and the large 51-ounce water tank allows this vacuum cleaner to operate continuously for nearly an hour on a single tank of water. This model also ships with a number of useful attachments and accessories, including extension tubes and an ironing brush.
Though this cleaner does an adequate job on carpeting, thanks to the included adapter, it doesn’t do as good a job on thick rugs or shag carpeting, due to limitations in the design. Additionally, this steam vacuum cleaner requires regular maintenance, such as purchasing and installing cloth microfiber pads.
Award: BEST CONTROLS
WHY WE LIKE IT: Features easy-to-use digital touch controls and 5-way adjustable handle, with a quick-release mop pad tray, for easy maintenance, and a tank that remains dry as you clean, via proprietary technology.
Read Full Review: BISSELL Symphony Vac and Steam 2 in 1 vacuum
The Bissell Symphony is extremely simple to control via an integrated digital interface and a handle that is highly adjustable along five positions. This cleaner can effortlessly switch between steam-cleaning and vacuuming with just the push of a button and the quick-release mop pad tray makes general maintenance a breeze. Proprietary dry tank technology also keeps the debris tank dry as you clean, which additionally speeds up general maintenance.
This Bissell steam cleaner does work with the company’s own mop pads and they wear out fairly quickly, though four of these pads are included with the initial purchase. Also, this steam mop and vacuum hybrid cleaner is excellent at cleaning hard surface types, such as tiling and kitchen floors, but isn’t designed to effectively clean carpeting and rugs.
Award: BEST VALUE
WHY WE LIKE IT: Value-conscious steam cleaner with a robust feature set that includes a 1,500w heating element that delivers 45 minutes of consistent steam per use and a large 48-ounce water tank.
Read Full Review: McCulloch Heavy Duty Steam Cleaner
This McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty steam cleaner comes in at a value-friendly price while offering a superb feature set, including the ability to steam clean a large variety of surface types, including hardwood floors, cement, tiles, and laminate. The large 48-ounce water tank allows for 45 minutes of consistent use before needing a refill and this vacuum ships with a bevy of useful attachments, including a long hose, a steam jet nozzle, a squeegee, and more.
Though this steam cleaner does an excellent job with harder surface types, it is not intended for cleaning carpets, so take that into consideration before making a purchase. Additionally, this vacuum must be plugged in during operation, though it does include a lengthy power cable just like with the best car vacuum cleaners.
Award: BEST MULTI-USE
WHY WE LIKE IT: Multi-functional cleaner that also doubles as a chemical-free wallpaper removal tool, with a large 48oz water tank that can operate continuously for 45 minutes on a single refill.
The Wagner Spraytech is an extremely versatile cleaning tool that excels at removing debris and dirt from a variety of surface types, in addition to doubling as a good option for a chemical-free solution to the problem of wallpaper removal. There are also attachments included for window cleaning, cleaning brass ornaments, and more. We loved the large 48-ounce water tank, which allows the cleaner to operate for over 45 minutes before needing a refill, and the
Though the tank does allow for nearly an hour of use, this cleaner does take around ten minutes to heat through, so be sure to plan accordingly. Also, this is a fairly compact and lightweight design, but it must be plugged in to operate.
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Award: BEST ON A BUDGET
WHY WE LIKE IT: Budget-friendly vac with plenty of high-end features, including a light form factor, machine washable microfiber pads, and a design that heats up quickly, being ready to go in just 20 seconds after being plugged in.
Read Full Review: O-Cedar Microfiber Steam
This O-Cedar Microfiber Steam Mop comes in at a budget-conscious price while offering features in line with more expensive competitors, such as an extremely light five-pound form factor. This best steam mop excels at cleaning and disinfecting a wide variety of surface types, including cement, hardwood floors, and carpet. We also loved how quickly it heats up, 20 seconds, and the fact that the included microfiber cleaning pads are machine washable.
Though this is indeed a light steam cleaner, it must be plugged in to operate, so take that into consideration. Additionally, this is a steam mop and not a dedicated steam vacuum cleaner, so it doesn’t do a great job with ultra-tough jobs that include copious amounts of caked-in debris
Award: BEST FOR BACTERIA
WHY WE LIKE IT: Eliminates 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria embedded in flooring, thanks to proprietary sonic micro pulse vibration technology, with a form factor that can collapse for hand-cleaning.
Read Full Review: Sienna Luna Plus Steam
The Sienna Luna Plus is a great choice for eliminating harmful bacteria, germs, and mold, thanks to the company’s proprietary sonic micro-vibration pulse technology that is certified to kill 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria. This is a steam mop with a light form factor that easily collapsed for one-handed use, in addition to shipping with a large variety of useful attachments and accessories, including an add-on for cleaning the inside of a car.
Though this steam mop excels on a variety of surface types, including hardwood floors and tiling, it isn’t designed to thoroughly clean carpeting. Also, the nylon cleaning brushes that integrate with this cleaner can wear out after intensive use, so you should keep a few replacements on hand.
Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: Fantastic lightweight and cordless design with a powerful 500w motor, integrated sensors that adjust the power depending on how much dirt is present and featuring a number of useful attachments, such as a power brush.
The Tineco Pure ONE S12 is the best steam cleaner for carpet, among other surface types, thanks to a powerful 500-watt motor and integrated sensors that make adjustments based on how much dirt and debris are present. The lightweight and compact design, with a built-in lithium battery that gets 100 minutes of use per charge, also makes this the best handheld steam cleaner. We also loved the sheer number of attachments and accessories that ship with this model, including a dusting brush, a power brush, a crevice tool, and more.
Related: Discover the key features of the best shop vacs.
Though this is an ultra-powerful vacuum on carpet and hardwood floors, the debris canister is on the smaller side and, as such, requires regular maintenance to ensure that dirt and debris have not clogged up the line. Additionally, this is a high-end vac with plenty of features, so it is on the pricier side. To keep your hardwood, tile, and other surfaces spotless and sanitized, the best floor cleaners will do a perfect job.
To help narrow down to the above list, we made sure to include a number of different options to suit different surface types and cleaning methods. Professional-grade steam cleaners were included as the obvious choice to remove caked-in stains on carpeting and rugs while steam mops were included for the purposes of cleaning hardwood floors and for disinfecting various areas of the home.
We made sure that each vacuum we chose was made from durable and long-lasting components and came with built-in safety features to help reduce the chances of accidental injuries, such as child-proof locks. We also liked vacuums that were light enough to carry throughout the home and those that featured integrated wheels for a stable and smooth pull as you go about cleaning tasks.
We liked steam vacuum cleaners that shipped with a variety of useful accessories and attachments, such as lengthy hoses, crevice tools, carpet gliders, brushes, upholstery cleaning tools, and many more. Finally, we tended to choose vacuums that heated water quickly and evenly, producing steam in as little as 30 seconds.
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